Nehalem Bay State Park

The spit is the whole point. It is a long, narrow bar of sand, roughly four miles from base to tip, that grew across the mouth of the Nehalem River over centuries and now separates the bay behind it from the ocean in front. Because the park runs its entire length, you can stand in one spot and choose your coast: cross the low dunes to the west and you are on open ocean beach with the full weight of the Pacific rolling in; cross to the east and you are on quiet, protected bay water.

That split personality is what makes the place so useful to a traveler. The ocean side is for walking, beachcombing, flying a kite, and watching storms and sunsets. The bay side is calm enough for a family to launch a kayak or a canoe, set crab rings, or dig for clams at low tide. Deer and elk move through the dunes, and the grassy hummocks hide nesting birds, so it rewards a slow, watchful pace.

The Tillamook people used the bay side of the spit as seasonal ground long before white settlement, drawn by the same fish, shellfish, and shelter that draw people today. In the 1850s the area was surveyed for settlers, and in 1908 the spit was even platted for a real-estate development that never really took hold, a town that the moving sand and the sea would never have allowed to last.

In the 1930s Tillamook County took the land back for unpaid taxes and handed it to the State of Oregon for a park. But the spit was still restless, its dunes marching with the wind, so through the 1940s and 1950s crews planted European beach grass, shore pine, and Scotch broom to pin the sand in place. It took roughly twenty years for the plantings to hold, and only in 1972 did Nehalem Bay State Park finally open. The green, wooded dunes you walk today are, in large part, a century of patient work.

For hikers, the standout is the spit trail, a sandy out-and-back of around five miles that runs down the length of the peninsula through dune and pine to the North Jetty at the very tip, where the bay pours out to meet the ocean. There is also a short paved bike loop near the main campground, and miles of open beach for those who would rather just wander the tideline.

The park has a few features you will not find elsewhere on the coast. It keeps horse camps and equestrian trails, so you can ride the beach and the dunes, and it has its own small airstrip, a rarity among Oregon state parks, where fly-in campers can land a light plane and pitch a tent nearby. An amphitheater hosts interpretive programs in summer. Between the beach, the bay, the trails, and the wildlife, it is easy to fill a full day and want another.

The park entrance is just south of Manzanita, a short drive off US-101, and the towns of Manzanita, Nehalem, and Wheeler sit right around the bay for food, gear, and lodging. Wheeler in particular is the natural jumping-off point for the bay itself, with a marina that rents kayaks, paddleboards, and crab boats if you did not bring your own.

Come prepared for coastal weather, which can swing from sun to fog to wind in an afternoon, and bring layers even in summer. Crabbing and clamming are best in the cooler months and need an Oregon shellfish license, and the dunes are living habitat, so stay on the trails and off the planted foredunes. Whether you come for an hour on the beach or a long weekend of paddling and camping, the Nehalem spit is the kind of quietly generous place that gives back exactly as much as you ask of it.

The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is a place we chose through independent editorial review, never a paid placement.

The park sits on a long sand spit between the ocean and Nehalem Bay, so you get both worlds. On the bay side, people kayak, paddleboard, crab, fish, and dig for clams, while over the dunes lies a wide ocean beach for walking, kite flying, and relaxing. A forested bike path winds through the park, there are miles of trails, and you may spot elk, deer, and harbor seals along the way.

It is a well-regarded campground with a lot of variety. Beyond standard sites, there are yurts for those who want a roof and a bit of comfort, primitive horse camps with trail and beach access for equestrians, and even fly-in sites beside a small airstrip. Reviewers praise the clean, well-kept restrooms and showers and the good spacing between sites, and it is open year-round, with reservations recommended.

Yes, the calm, protected waters of Nehalem Bay are ideal for kayaking and paddleboarding, which is one of the park's biggest draws. The bay is also popular for crabbing and clamming at the right tides. As always on tidal water, check conditions and tides before you go out, wear a life jacket, be mindful of wind and currents, and give yourself an easy way back to shore.

Yes, and they matter for both wildlife and planning. During the western snowy plover nesting season in spring and summer, part of the beach on the spit south of the main day-use area is restricted to protect the birds, with foot traffic allowed only on the wet sand and other activities off-limits there. Watch for posted signs, respect the roped areas, and use the open beach north of the restrictions during that season.

Summer offers the warmest weather and the fullest slate of activities, though it is also the busiest, so book campsites well ahead. Spring and fall are quieter and beautiful, with fall bringing good crabbing. Keep the snowy plover beach restrictions in mind if you visit the south spit in the nesting months, and bring layers year-round, since the coast stays cool and breezy.